BEDFORD – Senior citizens packed the Sherwood Oaks Christian Church on Wednesday morning for the 2023 Senior Fair, presented by Vertical Home Health and hosted by WBIW, WQRK, and LITEFM radio stations.
The excitement for the event could perhaps best be described by the line outside the building before the 8 a.m. start time, where attendees waited patiently for doors to open for a shot at one of the free 100 t-shirts that were given away to the first to enter.
The first in line, Jean Church is no stranger to the event, having also been the first in line for last year’s Senior Fair.
She said she comes to the event each year expecting to have a good time and is never disappointed.
“I’ve come every year they’ve had it so far, it’s awesome,” said Church.
Between the many vendors handing out unique freebies, the free snacks, provided by Magic Morning Bakery, hours of free Bingo games, and numerous different free health screenings, there was plenty to be excited about, though Church had her eyes aimed at one thing.
“I imagine I’ll be playing a lot of bingo,” she said.
Throughout the duration of the event, nearly 700 showed up to enjoy the festivities.
Of those who attended, many enjoyed the free health screenings, which included:
- Glare Test by Superior Eye Physicians – Dr. Drew B. Davis
- Video Otoscope to look for ear wax by Advanced Audiology & Hearing Care
- Wealth Screening for financial health by Williams Wealth
- Blood Pressure by Indiana Health Centers
- Vision provided by the Bedford Lions Club
- Emergency Medical Needs Demonstration by DefCon Security Solutions
- Hearing Screening by Beltone Hearing Aid Center
- Full Vitals (BP, Heart Rate, and Oxygen Saturation) and Strength Testing by Bloomington Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
- Blood Pressure by Johnson Christian Village
- Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure by Southern Indiana Community Health Care
Others enjoyed visiting the 40-plus vendor booths spread across the gymnasium.
Vendors present included:
- Advanced Audiology & Hearing Care
- Autumn Trace Senior Communities-Bedford
- Bedford Lions Club
- Bedford North Lawrence Scholarship Foundation
- Beltone
- Bloomington Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
- Day & Carter Mortuary
- Brickyard Health Care
- Caregiver Homes
- Crowder’s Pharmacy
- Defcon Security Solutions
- Evergreen Village at Bloomington
- Family Drug
- Ferguson-Lee Chapel of Thorne George Family Funeral Homes
- Garden Villa Bedford
- Healthy Balance health club
- HELP U HEAR, LLC.
- Home Health by Compass Park
- Hoosier Hills Food Bank
- Hoosier Uplands XV Area on Aging
- Humana
- Indiana Health Centers
- IU Health Bedford
- Johnson Christian Village
- Kerns Insurance
- Lawrence County CASA Program
- Lawrence County/Community Foundation Partnership, Inc.
- LeafFilter Gutter Protection
- Living Well Home Care
- Monroe Hospital
- Older Americans Services
- Re-Elect Angel Hawkins for Bedford City Council, At-Large
- Re-Elect Sam Craig for Bedford Mayor
- Rural Dementia Network
- Senior Solutions
- Southern Indiana Community Health Care, Inc.
- Stonebridge Health Campus
- Superior Eye Physicians
- Vertical Home Health
- Williams Bros. Healthcare Pharmacy
- Williams Wealth
- WTIU Public Television
Some were lucky enough to be winners of the many giveaways that took place throughout the morning, including $100 cash giveaways at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from WBIW, gift baskets from Autumn Trace, Williams Health, Family Drug, Garden Villa, and many more, a Kindle Fire from Senior Solutions LLC, Spring Mill State Park Season Pass, and Golden Corral Gift Cards from Living Well Home Care and more.
Others, like Church, enjoyed competing in the events’ various Bingo games, aided by volunteers from Altrusa, for the many prizes which were up for grabs.
Regardless of what they were there for, it’s safe to say the 2023 Senior Fair was a great time for those in attendance.
